ConTEnTS

UnIT 1 ...... 5 UnIT 7 ...... 77 Introduction north africa, the Middle East, & Central asia north africa ...... 81 UnIT 2 ...... 15 Middle East ...... 83 Western Europe Former Soviet union States ...... 86 Mediterranean Countries ...... 21 British Isles ...... 23 UnIT 8 ...... 87 nordic Countries ...... 25 South & East asia West-Central Europe ...... 26 South asia ...... 93 East asia ...... 97 UnIT 3 ...... 31 Southeast asia ...... 101 Eastern Europe russia ...... 35 UnIT 9 ...... 103 Former Soviet republics ...... 38 Pacific Islands, Australia, & Antarctica Former Soviet Satellites ...... 39 Southeast asian Islands ...... 109 Balkan States ...... 41 Micronesia, Melanesia, & Polynesia ... 111 australia & new Zealand ...... 112 UnIT 4 ...... 43 antarctica ...... 114 north america Canada ...... 49 united States ...... 49 GloSSary ...... 115 Mexico ...... 50

UnIT 5 ...... 51 Central & South america Caribbean Islands ...... 58 Central america ...... 60 South america ...... 61

UnIT 6 ...... 65 Sub-Saharan africa Western africa ...... 71 Central africa ...... 72 Eastern africa ...... 74 Southern africa ...... 74

Contents 3 SoUTh & EaST aSIa

phySICal GEoGraphy

From the frozen reaches of northern Siberia, the only habitats of the elusive snow leopard, an through the mountainous central regions, to the endangered cat found in rocky and snowy terrain. tropical heat and seasonal rains nearer the Equator, Just north of the himalayas, the Tibetan plateau— the countries of South and East asia experience a oft en called the "Roof of the World"—is the world's broad range of climates and distinct topography. highest and largest plateau. It is 970,000 sq. miles Just north of Kazakhstan, the Ural Mountains, of inhospitable steppe covered by large swaths of which run north-south through central russia, permafrost. Groups of nomads live and raise are the traditional dividing line between the herds of livestock on the plateau, but it is the continents of Europe and asia. the mountains least populated region of asia. It ends in a have relatively low elevation, and are easily steep escarpment on its northern edge. crossed. they are rich with mineral deposits northeast of the tibetan Plateau, the of platinum, quartz, copper, amethyst, Gobi Desert straddles the border between diamonds, emeralds, and more. the part of southern Mongolia and northern China, russia east of the urals is known as Siberia, located in the rain shadow of the himalayas. consisting mainly of a vast taiga, which oft en the Gobi, or "waterless place," is a cold experiences subarctic temperatures, and desert; it experiences extreme cold as well transitions into arctic tundra in the far north. as extreme heat. Instead of sand, the Gobi is the Tian Shan Mountains, or "Celestial Snow leopard mostly rock and gravel, and is oft en covered Mountains," in western China run along the by frost and snow. the edges of the Gobi are border with and into Kyrgyzstan, abutt ing thehindu extremely prone to desertifi cation. Kush Mountains in afghanistan, which separate there are two main rivers that sustain life and East asia from South asia. the world's largest and foster transportation in China. the yellow river (or most infamous mountain range runs along the Huang He, as it is known in China) fl ows through northern border of India, eff ectively separating the northern China Plain. the yellow river has been the Indian subcontinent from the rest of asia. the called "the cradle of Chinese civilization"; it provides himalayas form a natural border of snow-capped a livelihood for millions of people. As the river fl ows peaks, including the world's highest, Mt. Everest, down from the tibetan Plateau, it brings deposits whose summit sits 29,029 feet above sea level in of silt, which have caused many devastating fl oods eastern nepal. these mountain ranges are some of throughout history, causing millions of deaths. In

Summit of Mount Everest in the himalayas

88 South & East asia Bering Strait

Bering Sea

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South China Sea MALDIVES SRI LANKA Equator

South & East asia 89 under this dynasty that the Silk Road was offi cially the port of Canton. the British East India Company established and developed. though there are many began smuggling enormous quantities of opium into ethnic groups included in the term "Chinese," the the country, a highly addictive drug to which large largest today call themselves the "han." portions of the population became addicted. the over the next couple thousand years China was Chinese government tried to make opium illegal, ruled by a succession of dynasties and kingdoms and seized all opium on British ships in Chinese that had varying degrees of success at maintaining ports. the First (1839-1842) and Second (1856- a unifi ed and prosperous China. The short-lived Sui 1860) opium Wars between China and Britain were Dynasty (581-618 A.D.) unifi ed the divided North fought over the opium trade in China, and over and South kingdoms, and did the majority of the trade relations between China and Europe. the construction on the thousand-mile Grand Canal, a Chinese army, outdated and technologically inferior, feat of engineering and manpower that facilitated was soundly defeated in both wars and forced to trade throughout the kingdom. the tang Dynasty sign a series of "unequal treaties" in which China (618-907 a.D.) was a period of cultural development was forced to legalize opium and open several more that produced some of China's most famous ports to European trade. During the Second writers, painters, and poets. Music, opium War China also faced internal fashion, goods, and religious beliefs unrest, and the Taiping rebellion (1850- were exchanged with the Middle 1864) erupted into full-scale civil war in East and western asia via the the southern part of the country. Aft er Silk road during this period, but some att empts at reform and recovery, there was still very litt le Western the Qing Dynasty came to an end in infl uence from Europe. In 1279, the 1912 when the child-emperor was yuan Dynasty was established by forced to abdicate and the republic of Kublai Khan (grandson of Genghis China was established by the Chinese Khan) as one of the smaller states that nationalist Party. made up the Mongolian Empire aft er the republic of China was unstable the death of Genghis. the yuan Dynasty and short-lived. the Chinese Communist was the fi rst dynasty not of Han descent Mao zedong Party repeatedly tried to take control of the to rule a unifi ed China. When the Mongolian government, and the civil war between the two Empire collapsed, the Ming Dynasty took control parties eventually ended with the establishment of of China. this ushered in a period of economic and the People's republic of China (PrC) in 1949 by the political stability, and increased trade with Europe Communist Party, which is still in power today. and the Americas. The scatt ered parts of the Great Like the other countries swept up in Communist Wall were connected, extended, and strengthened revolutions in the early 20th century, the current during the Ming. a tribe from Manchuria in economy and culture of China has been shaped northern China conquered the Ming in 1644, in large part by the events that followed the establishing the last Imperial Dynasty of China, the establishment of the Communist government. In Qing Dynasty. the Qing was beset with problems; the early days of the PrC, the leader, Chairman Mao corruption, rebellion, political instability, fi nancial zedong, tightened government control around every diffi culties, and troubled relations with Western aspect of the lives of China's citizens. People were nations plagued the dynasty. forced to relinquish personal property and relocate European countries, experiencing high demand to communal farms to live and work. two programs for Chinese luxury goods like silk, tea, and porcelain, in particular were instituted in the 1950s and 60s that wanted to increase trade with China, which had a very negative impact on the economic, cultural, had become increasingly isolationist and largely and social development of China. the Great leap economically self-suffi cient, and had no desire or Forward in 1958 was meant to create self-sustaining need for increased trade with Europe. In the mid- collectivist farms and factories where citizens would 17th century, the Chinese government allowed one all work for the communal economic good, but which port to be open to European merchant ships; all trade resulted in poor harvests and widespread famine for between Europe and China was legally restricted to the three years of the program. Millions of people

98 South & East asia Itsukushima Shrine this torii gate at a Shinto shrine near hiroshima, Japan, was originally built around the 6th century, but has been destroyed and rebuilt several times. the gate is a popular tourist att raction, and one of the most recognizable symbols of Japan. yak, Tibet In the himalayan regions of South asia, and as far north as Mongolia, domesticated yaks have been used for thousands of years as beasts of burden and as sources of food, milk, and fuel (dung).

Kabuki Woodblock prints, 17th and 18th century Kabuki is a type of drama developed in Japan in the 17th century. Kabuki plays incorporate Terracott a Army elaborate costumes and makeup, dance, and the use of shocking reveals or reversals as Emperor Qin Shi Huang, fi rst (and only) plot conventions. Woodblock prints of popular plays emperor of the Qin Dynasty of China, was or famous actors were a common type of art in Japan buried with an army of over 8,000 terracott a during the height of Kabuki popularity in the 17th to warriors, horses, and chariots, which were 19th centuries. meant to guard him in the aft erlife.

Marco polo hanami, himeji Castle, japan the Italian traveler Marco Polo served Genghis Khan's grandson, Kublai Khan (fi rst yuan Emperor), for almost twenty years. his book of himeji Castle, Japan travel stories piqued European Every year in Japan, during March and april, thousands of Cherry Blossom trees bloom throughout the interest in the exotic treasures country. People gather in parks for hanami (fl ower viewing), and hold large feasts under the fl owering trees. of the orient.

South & East asia 99